It’s no secret that the telecommunications industry is in a state of flux. Their revenues are under threat as consumers increasingly change their behavior away from core revenue services like long distance, texting, etc. This is not a surprise.
The question that everyone seems to be asking is: Are operators fated to follow the path of the similar industries where digital and Over The Top (OTT) services have completely undermined their business model?
But the real question should be: Why aren’t more operators choosing a solution that easily negates the threat from OTT players like Skype, WhatsApp, Viber, etc?
Operators need to take a page from startups and realize the battle is now about users not revenue. They need to focus on delivering services that meets real customer needs – ease of use, affordability, multi-device and app based. In fact, this user-centric model is no different than carriers subsidizing mobile devices as a means of attracting and retaining clients.
CounterPath’s proven Operator OTT solution enables service providers to deliver a branded OTT VoIP service that incorporates voice and video calling, Instant Messaging, SMS and presence management with single-number identity.
But Operator OTT is more than features; CounterPath’s Operator OTT offering is an agile, quick-to-market solution that gives operators a competitive advantage in this ever-changing, fast moving environment by increasing value and traction with their customers.
Here are a few simple facts about Operator OTT:
It’s already here and it’s future proof.
- RCS (Rich Communications Suite) has the potential to significantly change the playing field but has been an ‘on-the-horizon’ solution for a long time. Operator OTT is available now and the few companies that have deployed it are already seeing dividends by exceeding the service capabilities of Internet OTT players. For example, a major European operator has deployed an OTT service which has resulted in a 22 per cent downturn in FaceTime use, a 10 per cent reduction in Skype use and a 56 per cent reduction in the use of Tango.
- Operator OTT is also network and device agnostic meaning that no existing investment in infrastructure is required allowing operators to meet their customers immediate needs while industry mapped standards based solutions such as RCS and VoLTE (Voice over LTE) continue to evolve.
It’s all about extending the experience.
- Most importantly, operators have a proven and inherent advantage over Internet OTT players - the phone number. CounterPath’s Convergent Voice and Messaging application delivers value by enabling operators to keep the mobile number as their primary identity regardless of device.
- The Rogers One Number offering, developed by CounterPath, is an excellent real world example of an operator using OTT to combat the threat from competing OTT services. This complete unified communications service was designed to meet the total needs of their customers – unlimited Canada-wide long-distance phone calls, moving calls from device to device without interruption, free IM and video calling to anyone using the Rogers One Number solution and free texts from any device from anywhere in the world.
- Operators OTT also caters to the behavior of their customers by extending traditional voice and SMS services to other devices (PCs, tablets and smartphones) and other networks (Wi-Fi).
Customers have proven they want it.
- The explosion in smartphones and tablets, combined with the increasing prevalence and affordability of mobile broadband, is making it easier for operators to deploy an OTT solution that is on par with existing services.
- Both wireline and mobile operators need to understand the value of offering customers value-added services and features. Simply put, CounterPath’s mobile VoIP solutions allow operators to provide customers with significant cost savings on carrier plan minutes and international calling charges.
In the end, this is a crucial time for the entire telecommunication industry. What do you think operators need to do to stay relevant with today’s changing technology?
Image: iStockphoto
